Merry Clayton rips into Gimme Shelter

I always though the Rolling Stone's 1969 classic 'Gimme Shelter' was their best tune. Tight, nasty, funky, and downright mean, this was the satanic cool of Jagger/Richards at its height. What made the tune so majestic however, were the co-lead vocals of gospel singer Merry Clayton who banshee-wails 'Rape, murder, is just one shot away'. Really chilling stuff. Clayton is a much better singer than Jagger, and for me, it was she who sold the song. As such, her 1970 solo version is a revelation. Think the Stax-Volt horns with a plodding funky-rock groove and a soul diva wailing about the storm threatening her very life, and rape and murder being just a shot away. Killer stuff this is.



And here is the legendary extended Stones version that really extends the groove. Listen for Merry's vocals, and where her voice cracks.

The Foreign Exchange- Authenticity

Hey Phatties! As the year comes to a close, we here at Phat Fellas would like to highlight some of the more exemplary releases of 2010. As tough as it would be to decide on a favorite, as there have been some truly exemplary releases this year, as close as I have to a favorite album of 2010 is Authenticity by the Foreign Exchange.
The Foreign Exchange are a remarkable R&B/Hip Hop collective featuring Phonte of Little Brother fame, producer Nicolay, and frequent guests Zo!, Darien Brockington, and YahZarah. Furthering the signature sound of 2008's all-time classic 'Leave it All Behind', the smooth production of Nicolay blends elements of Stevie Wonder-influenced R&B sophistication, electronica, hip hop, and acoustic pop.  As hard an act 'Leave it All Behind' was to follow, the Foreign Exchange succeeds admirably, by making another record in the vein of the aforementioned classic, yet as opposed to sounding like a clone of 'Leave it All Behind', 'Authenticity' comes across as more of a downcast companion piece.
The mood of the album is distinctly more detached, icy and cynical than 'Leave it All Behind'. Indeed, on the first cut, the brilliantly sophisticated and layered 'Last Fall', a multi-tracked chorus of Phontes despair, "Love is at worst an excuse/at best it's a truce". If 'Leave it All Behind' was the sweet love, 'Authenticity' is the hungover breakup, which makes it a harder album to instantly love. Initially, I was disappointed with the downcast mood of the record; only 'Last Fall' jumped out. However, further listens revealed the entire album to be a brilliant and concise statement on love, loss and vulnerabiliy. Think a musically successful version of the vision of Kanye's '808's and Heartbreaks' executed by musicians who can actually sing (no, offense Kanye, we Phatties love you anyways). The title track explores the theme of selfishness in love, and is representative of the downcast lyrical mood of the record. However, we always have the smooth sound of Nicolay's pads and electric-piano to sooth our love torn souls
The harmonies are thicker and stronger this time around, and Phonte's singing is more assured. Additionally, Nicolay's increased use of live instrumentation, such as the guitar solo on the Prince-like 'Authenticity', and the almost entirely acoustic 'Laughing At Your Plans' gives the album a different sound. 'Authenticity' concentrates less on guest appearances and is more focused on Phonte and Nicolay than the previous release, although two of the albums highlights are collaborations, the carpe-diem smooth-dance anthem 'Don't Wait', featuring Darien Brockington on unbelievably smooth vocals, and the incredibly gorgeous 'This City Ain't the Same Without You' (must be heard to be believed), with a sultry lead from the sexy YahZarah. Nicolay's inventive technique of placing the snare hit slightly before the beat is used to great effect to give the anthemic 'Maybe She'll Dream Of Me', which in an ideal world would be a huge club R&B and hip hop hit, a creative, off kilter quality setting it apart from the pack. However, at under 40 minutes, the record leaves you wanting more, expecially after the chilling 'This City Ain't The Same'.
Phonte and Nicolay's move towards the smoothest realms of musical creativity remains a thrilling journey, and combined with the emotional longing in the lyrics of Phonte, 'Authenticity' truly is a rare thing; a smooth R&B/hip hop album with heart, soul, and authenticity.
I have seen these guys live twice, and have spent time with Phonte, Nicolay, and Yahzarah, and I highly recommend supporting the artists at their exceptional shows.

A Little Mystic Brew for You

This is one righteous cut, O My Brothers! Sampled to great effect by A Tribe Called Quest on 'Electric Relaxation' and Madlib on 'Mystic Bounce', this tune by the great Ronnie Foster stands on its own as a really funky example of the brilliant soul Jazz coming out of Blue Note in the late '60's. The bass line is classic, the guitar chords are out of this world, the organ is virtuoso status,  the melody is a simple and catchy pentatonic riff, and the whole thing is very street, very gritty, and yet as smooth as butta. This is the bedrock of hip-hop. Make your day brighter with this:

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RIP Reg King of the Action

Man, this blog is getting to be a real downer with all the great dying, but it would just be wrong not to mention this inimitable talents. My friend Will Courtney of the band Brothers and Sisters just informed me of the passing of Reginald 'Reg' King Of all the recently decease artists that we have been honoring, Reg King is perhaps the most obscure, yet the most ripe for rediscovery. Possessing what Pitchfork calls a "powerful, debonair croon", King was the lead singer of critically acclaimed yet doomed-to-failure R&B influence psychedelic pop group the Action ('freakbeat' in music critic lingo). Check this baby out; a cover of the Marvelettes' 'Keep on Holding On', this gives the Who a run for their money.
Allmusic states: "After the Beatles, the Action were the most impressive band signed to EMI by George Martin during the mid-'60s. That they never managed to chart a single in the space of two years with the label, even as lesser bands sold tens of thousands of records with seemingly no effort, is one of those great ironies of mid-'60s English rock & roll.
Now why is he so important if they never scored a hit nor made a record? Well, they played a psychedelic brand of folky power-popish R&B that could have given the Zombies, the early Who, or the Small Faces a run for their money; Reg King was a powerhouse vocalist, a true R&B force of nature like Steve Winwood; and most importantly, in 2002, their archives turned out one of the best psych albums of all time. Yup; within the archives of EMI lay an unreleased album, Rolled Gold, on par with 'The Who Sell Out' or any of the best '60's British rock- allmusic calls it "a lost masterpiece...Tracks such as "Something to Say" and especially "Brain" with Reggie pleading for immortality over a hugely anthemic chord progression are as good, if not better, than anything that charted during the late '60s and sound less dated than many of the Action's contemporaries' efforts. It's as if Paul Weller time-traveled back to 1967 and wrote the best songs of his career. Every track is a fully realized melodic and lyrical statement. While there is a roughness to the demo-quality recording, it only magnifies the raw emotions the Action were able to translate into timeless music -- music that deserved much better than it got." Tell it like it is AMG. Oh. And Pitchfork gave it an 8.0. Check it out.

We at Phat Fellas salute you, Reg King, British master of soul.

Here are a few Rolled Gold tracks:


Here's a solo version of one of my favorite songs on 'Rolled Gold', Little Boy. Vocals DO NOT get better than that. ROCK AND ROLL, damn it.

RIP The Cool Ruler: Gregory Isaacs

There seems to be a disturbing wave lately of older greats dropping dead out of the blue. The music blogosphere has become a virtual morgue, and while we at Phat Fellas don't like to follow trends, it only seems fair that we respect the masters in every way possible, befitting their massive legacies.

RIP The Cool Ruler: Gregory Isaacs
I've always loved Gregory Isaacs' smooth-soul influenced brand of reggae. With a voice like a Jamaican Marvin Gaye that was the epitome of smooth cool island lovin', you gotta dig the sweet grooves of his patented "lovers rock" style- sort of a Luther Vandross of reggae. He was no lazy slouch either; he managed to release more than 500 albums during the course of his career. Unfortunately, he succumbed to cocaine addiction and died yesterday after a long battle with cancer. According to WaxPoetics, "Gregory Isaacs had recently performed at London’s Big Chill Festival. He passed away at 4 AM on October 25, 2010. He was sixty years old." Lonely Lover, you'll be missed.

Dig this tune:

Fitz and the Tantrums

Fitz and the Tantrums.
That name is what turned me on to this band in the first place, because it sounds like something you would have heard 30 or 40 years ago, and in this modern context it's very out of place.
I didn't know that that was what the band was all about till later.
according to their myspace, Fitz in the Tantrums started when Fitz (The singer) got a call from his ex saying that her neighbor was moving out and was selling this great old church organ for 50$. Fitz grabbed the thing before any logic could get in the way and proceeded to write an entire EP about heartbreak and the end of relationships...I wonder if that girlfriend can feel the irony breathing down her neck.

This band makes some beautiful soul music with the same modern twist as Gnarles Barkley, only with more white people and physical instrument. It's the kind of album that sounds just familiar enough to get you to listen, the kind that brings back memories of all the songs you never heard that probably sound just like it. It jogs a memory that doesn't exist.
Anways, I'm going on for too long.
They're playing at the Echo on the 6th but it's an 18+ Show, so I can't attend.

Enjoy:

Boogie Wednesday #1

In Honor of Rosh HaShanah- Some Funky Jewish Music

For all of you Hebrew hipsters who want to spice up your Jewish new year with something a little funkier than the Malavsky Sweet Singers of Israel Family Choir (more on them and their ramshakle charm another time), check out these cool, funky, obscure, and yes, Jewish LP's that will sweeten your holiday while keeping yourself firmly within your cool, Pitchfork reading, indie image.

Herbie Hancock Sextet- Hear O' Israel: A Prayer Ceremony in Jazz
The title really says it all; this classic period "lost" Herbie Hancock album (only a couple hundred copies were initially pressed) is a Jewish prayer service set to jazz tunes commission by Rabbi David Davis and written by 17 year old Jonathan Klein. The work was preformed at Friday night prayer concerts, and recorded in 1968 with the absolutley stellar lineup of Herbie Hancock, Thad Jones, Ron Carter, Jerome Richardson, Grady Tate, Jonathan Klein , soprano

and contralto vocalists and Rabbi Richard Davis as reader. Much of the album is made up of Coltrane style spiritual jazz, hard boppin' Blue Note-style tunes or Herbie Hancock piano explorations, yet the Hebrew singing gives it a whole different twist. Indeed, the vocal charts are pretty out there and are an aquired taste that can occasionally grate on the listener, but not enough to scare them away from this swinging and beautiful peice of Jewish soul Jazz. A really unique and spiritually moving record, "Matovu- Borchu", "Sh'ma", "Sanctification" and "Torah Service- Adoration" are among the highlights of this interesting, surprising and often beautiful record. Never thought you'd hear a Herbie Hacock song called Kiddush, right?

Various Artist-Soul Messages From Dimona

The musicians on this extraordinary compilation first worked together as part of a group of session musicians from Chicago called the Metrotones. After becoming involved with Ben Ammi Carter's Black-Hebrew Zionist vision, these musician moved to West Africa, where they encountered many a hardship (including the abduction of band members Shevat Boyd and Yehuda Whitfield). Re-christened the Soul Messengers, the group moved to the settlement of Dimona in Southern Israel's Negev Desert.

Augmented by female singers Spirit of Israel, teen group the Tonistics (the black Jewish Jackson 5), and male singers Sons of the Kingdom, the musically collective became popular for their free shows during the Yom Kippur War.

The music included on this collection is diverse; songs range from Jewish psychedelic gospel to spiritual soul Jazz to disco infused funk. Most songs have religious subject matter and all are ridiculously funky. For all of you Hebraic Fela Kuti worshipers, this is the album for you. I am hesitant to peg this one with the "Jewish" tag; this is simply one of the best soul releases of any sort I have heard recently. And come on, where else can you hear a Hebrew rewrite of Steam's "Na Na Na (Kiss Him Goodbye)" ?

Oren Bloedow and Jennifer Charles- La Mar Enfortuna

Sephardic indie rock? What, what? Yes, you heard right. The masterminds of the indie rock group Elysian Fields explore the music of the Spanish Jews on this 2001 release as part of avant-garde jazzer John Zorn's Radical Jewish Culture imprint of the Tzadik record label. The reinterpretations can be radical; "La Rosa" is transformed from sultry love ballad to a menacing and sexy blues workout while "Ayyu-Ha S-Saqi" becomes an avant garde Arabic drone workout, complete with requisite backwards tapes, oud and saz. The 10 minute "Porke Yorach" is slow, jazzy and sexy in a way that few music is. These reinterpretations are alternately edgy, dark and creepy or sultry and passionate; although respectful of the music's spirit, this is, as the label suggests, radical Jewish music. Jennifer Charles is a very sultry and passionate singer, and approaches these songs with heart. Embracing jazz, funk, avant-garde, rock and Latin, this indie-Sephardic record is a unique jem.

More on Jewish grooviness another time, peeps. So, Jewish folk, happy new year.

Additional Jewish Grooviness: anything on John Zorn's Tzadik label